Rozaini Mohd Rosli's Blog

MEMORANDUM TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

June 4, 2010

4th June 2010
President Barack Obama
President of The United States of America
White House, Washington
Mr. President,
MEMORANDUM TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
From Pakatan Rakyat and NGOs of Malaysia in respect of the attack on the “Mavi Marmara”
and the Gaza Freedom Flotilla on 31 May 2010
On 31st of May 2010, Israeli military forces attacked the Gaza Freedom flotilla comprising 6 ships
containing over 600 peace activists from 37 countries including 12 Malaysians killing 9 Turkish and a
Turkish born American on the “Mavi Marmara” and wounding at least 60 of them. This attack by
Israeli forces took place in international waters and has been universally condemned as a blatant
criminal act in contravention of international law.
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla was in no way a threat to stability and peace to the region. Their objective
was only to provide basic humanitarian assistance to the more than a million of besieged Palestinians
in desperate need of food and medical supplies and to draw international attention to what was
considered as an illegal and oppressive blockade of Gaza by Israel.
The United Nations, the European Union, and countries including Turkey, Sweden, Greece, France,
Kuwait and Malaysia, whose citizens were on board the flotilla, have all condemned the Israeli
attack.
We are appalled and deeply disappointed by your weak and inadequate response on the matter.
Merely expressing deep regret for the loss of life and saying it was important to understand the facts
and circumstances is a tepid and one‐sided response reminiscent of statements issued by the
previous Bush administration. Asking the Israeli government to conduct “a full and credible
investigation” comes across as either dangerously naïve or willfully cynical. Such statements
undermine the credibility of the Obama administration globally.
The weak US response will reinforce the perception that it is parroting the Israeli government’s
narrative and sends an implicit and dangerous message of support for the Israeli blockade. You, in
your Ankara and Cairo speeches a year ago distanced yourself from policies of the Bush
administration, set out a different vision and reached out to the Muslim world as no president had
done before. Now however, the United States is seen to be walking in lock‐step stride with the most
right wing government that Israel has seen in years.
We urge the government of the United States to take into account the strong sentiments of
Malaysians on the Palestinian question. You will be aware that because of such sentiments, Malaysia
has to date no formal ties with the state of Israel. We bring to your attention the strong bi‐partisan
resolution unanimously passed in a special emergency session of the Malaysian Parliament on 12
January 2009 after continuous attacks on Gaza by Israel causing the loss of over 1300 Palestinian
lives, including many women and children. A copy of that resolution is appended.
We further urge you and the Government of the United States to recognize that Hamas is the
democratically elected government in Gaza and is as such a necessary and major player in any
negotiations towards a sustainable settlement of the Palestinian question.
2
We ask you to recognize that the blockade against Gaza has devastated its infrastructure and people
and created a humanitarian and human health disaster which has contributed to the emergence of
radical groups which reject a peaceful solution to the Palestinian issue.
We call on you, the President, and the Government of the United States to :
1) Take a clear position condemning the violence inflicted on the Free Gaza Flotilla and also call
for an end to the blockade of Gaza.
2 ) Ensure that an international independent inquiry is held under the auspices of the UN Security
Council into the Israeli attack on the Free Gaza Flotilla to establish the full facts and
circumstances of the attack – this inquiry cannot be left to the Israeli government to conduct if
it is to be credible.
3) Recognize that the United States is the country that can take the lead decisively and broker the
breaking of the deadlock and the siege of Gaza.
4) Initiate immediate steps to bring all parties to the negotiating table for resolution of the
prolonged conflict and in particular the siege of Gaza.
5) Suspend all existing economic and military aid to the state of Israel as a means to bring Israel
and all other stakeholders to the negotiating table and to resolve this prolonged conflict in the
Middle East.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
[signed illegible]
…………………………………………..
Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Opposition Leader, Parliament of Malaysia
Party Leader, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KEADILAN)
[signed illegible]
……………………………………………
Lim Kit Siang
Advisor, Democratic Action Party (DAP)
Head of DAP Members of Parliament
[signed illegible]
……………………………………………
Haji Nasharudin Mat Isa
Deputy President, The Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS)